CATAPULT TRACKING THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF FINLAND

Catapult athlete tracking technology is now being implemented in to the Football Association of Finland – the governing body of football in Finland and the country’s largest amateur sports federation.

Founded in 1907, the FA of Finland organises the men’s and women’s football teams, as well as the second and third tiers of national football, while boasting more than 1000 member clubs and approximately 115,000 registered players.

The Head of Coach Education, Kari Ukkonen, says that Catapult will be essential in his role at the football powerhouse. “Our angle is more from the coach education point of view,” Ukkonen said.

Ukkonen is no stranger to elite football in Europe, having represented Finland at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, voted Finnish Footballer of the Year, winner of the Belgium Cup with Cercle, and former coach of the Finland National Youth Team.

He believes that Catapult will allow him to measure individual workloads to determine the magnitude of improvements within his program.

“We can monitor the volumes and intensities of the training sessions, as well as every drill done in the sessions. This data then allows us to compare each drill or session with the other across the whole season to see the improvements of our players and our team.

“Using this data we can plan trainings and training programs, construct processes to develop players individually – based on their playing position and style of team play.”

Catapult wish the Finnish national teams the best of luck with their 2014 World Cup qualifying.